Electric signal system



3am. 26, 1932. s. G. DOWN ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed April 7. 1927 RD.T

o@ M TY NE EN Wm s latented dan. 26, 1932 UNiTED STATES PATENT FFICESIDNEY G. EUWN, OF EDGEWOOID, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNGR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE.A1122 BRAKE COMANY, GF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM Application filed April 7,

This invention relates to signal systems, and more particularly to anelectric signal system adapted tor use on railway trains.

The principal object of my invention is to 3 provide an electric trainsignal system having means `tor indicating to a trainman when theautomatic train control apparatus operates to apply the brakes.

ln the accompanying drawings; Fig. 1 is m a diagrammatic view oi anelectric signal system embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a section on theline 2 2 ot Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 ot Fig. 1.

iiiy invention is shown applied in the drawings to an electric signalsystem of the character covered in a patent to Clyde C. Farmer andThomas l-l". '.lhomas, Patent No. 1,778,108 otl Oct. 11, 1930. Accordingto the above pending application, there is provided on no each car oi'the train a buzzer device comprising an electroanagnet 1 having twomagnet windings or coils 2 and 3 and a pivoted armature l, movable inone direction by a Spring 5, when the magnet is deenergized and in theopposite direction when the magnet is energized. One terminal of eachcoil 2 and 3 is connected to a single train wire 6, and the otherterminal oit coil 2 is connected to a wire 7 which leads to a contact 8controlled by a to plug` switch device comprising a casing 9 havingtapered bore adapted to receive a removable switch plug 10. rlhe switchplug 10 carries contacts 11 and 12.

A branch wire 13 leads 'from wire 7 and has a terminal Contact 111-controlled by a switch device comprising a casing 15 containing asliding contact member 16. Said contact member 16 is provided with anoperating stem 17 adapted to be depressed by a lever eo 18 having twooperating arms 19 and 20, each adapted to be connected to an operatingcord and having two ulcrum pins 21 and 22, so disposed that when the arm26 is operated, the lever 18 turns about the ulcrum pin 22 is to operatethe stem 17 and when the arm 19 operated, the lever 18 turns about thepin 21 to operate the stem 17.

The contact member 16 is provided with cont-acts 23 and 24C and isnormally main- 5c tained in the position shown in the drawings 1927.Serial No. 181,761.

by the action of a. coil spring 25. When the member 16 is moveddownwardly a predetermined distance, a yielding` stop member 26 isengaged, said stop member being subject to the pressure of a coil spring27. In order to prevent rotative movement ot the contact member 16, saidmember is provided with a spline 28 which engages in a groove cut inguide bushing 29 having screw-t-hreaded engagement in the casing 15. Theswitch plug 10 may also be provided with a spline 30 adapted to engagein a groove in the casing 9, so as to ensure that the plug will beinserted in the proper position.

The contact 24 controls circuit wires connected to the contact 14, tocontact 31 which is connected to wire 82 leading to one terminal ofmagnet coil 3, and to contact 33 which is connected to wire 34 leadingto the positive terminal of a battery 35, or other source of electriccurrent.

The contact 28 controls circuit wires connected to contacts 36 and 37,the contact 36 being connected to a wire 38, leading to the negativeterminal of the battery 85, and the Contact 37 being connected to a wire39 which connected to ground at 40 and which also leads to a contact 111controlled by the contact 12 ot the switch plug 10.

The wire 311 is also connected to a contact t2 controlled by the contact11 of the switch plug 10, and the negative terminal of the battery 85 isconnected by wire 113 to a contact 1.4 controlled by contact 12 of theplug switch 10.

On the locomotive, there is provided a switch device comprising a casingll5 in which is slidably mounted a contact member 46 having a contact4:7 and normally maintained in the position shown in the drawings by theaction of a coil spring 48.

The train wire 6 is connected in parallel with two buzzcrs 19 and 50, ofthe well known type, which operate by making and breaking the electriccircuit. The buzzer 49 is connected through wire 51 with a contact 52and the buzzer through wire 53 with a contact 54e. In normal position ofthe switch member 46, the contact 47 connects contact 52 with a contact55 having a connection with a wire 56 leading to ground at 57 and whenthe member 46 is depressed, the contact 47 connects contact 54 with acontact 58, also connected to ground wire 56.

The buzzer 49 on the locomotive and the coil 2 of each electro-magnet 1on each vehicle of the train are of su'lhciently hioh resistance, sothat even if all the plugs 10 on the train are inserted, there will notbe enough current liowing through the buzzer 49V to cause same tooperate. n

In operation, a plug 10 is inserted in the casing 9 by a trainman oneach vehicle of the train at which it is desired to receive signalsoriginated by the engineman.

If the engineman desires to signal, he depresses the switch member 46,so that a circuit is closed from the ground 57 through the buzzer 50 tothe train wire 6, while the circuit through the buzzer 49 is opened.

On cars in which the plug 10 is inserted, a circuit will then becompleted from the train wire 6 through magnet coil 2, wire 7, Contact11 of the plug switch, wire l34, battery 35, wire 43, contact 12 or" theswitch plug 10, and wire 39 to ground at 40.

The buzzer 50 on the locomotive is thus caused to operate and inoperation, it makes and breaks the circuit, so that the circuit of thecoil 2 is likewise made and broken and thereby the armature 4 is causedto operate as a buzzer andA thus a signal is given on cars inthe trainin which the plug 10 is inserted.

rl`he buzzer 50 also operates as a signal to the engineman that theapparatus is working properly and that a signal is being made on thecars of the train.

l/Vhen a trainman desires to signal the engineman, he causes the lever18 to be operated so as to depress the stem 17, until the contact member16 engages the stop 26. This completes a. circuit from ground 40 tothetrain wire 6 through Contact 23, wire 38, battery 35, Wire 34, contact24, wire 32, and magnet coil 3. On the locomotive, the switch member 46being in normal position, as shown in the drawings, the train wire isc-onnected to ground through buzzer 49, wire 51,` Contact 47, and wire56 to ground at 57.

The magnet coil 3'is of low resistance as compared with magnet coil 2and such that sufficient current will flow through thebuzzer 49 to causesame to operate and thus signal the engineman. rllhe buzzer 49 being incircuit with the coil 3, will, by its operation, cause the circuitthrough the coil 3 to be made and broken and thereby the armature 4 willbe caused to vibrate.

It will be noted that a trainman may nal the engineman as abovedescribed, regardless ot whether or not the plug 10 is inserted in theoperating position.

It after trainman has signalled the engineman, the trainman wishes theengineman to answer at the point from which he signalled the engineman,the trainman will further depress the switch member 16, so as to movethe yielding stop 26 downwardly.

A circuit to the train wire 6 is then completed from the ground 40through contact 23, wire 38, battery 35, wire 34, contact 24, wire 13,wire 7, and through the magnet coil 2, to the train wire 6. On thelocomotive, the circuit is completed through the buzzer 49 and theswitch member 46 to the ground, and since the buzzer 49 will notYoperate withthe magnet coil 2 in circuit, and since the circuit of thecoil 3 is now open, the armature 4 will cease buzzing when the contactswitch member 16 is fully depressed, and thus will indicatetothe'trainman that he has properly depressed the switch member 16 topermit the engineman` to signal back.

It, with the switch member 16 fully depressed, the engineman depressesthe switch member 46, a circuit will be completed on the locomotivethrough the buzzer 50 and through the magnet coil 2 on the car, and thecircuit throughthe coil 2 and the battery 35 being closed in the fullydepressed position of the switch member 16, as above described, the

operation of the buzzer 50 on the locomotive makes and breaksthe circuitthrough the coil 2 and thus causes the armature 4 to act as a buzzer andas a signal from the engineman to the trainman.

A rectifier 60er other means for permitting flow of current only in onedirection may be interposed in the wire 34, so that should'the voltageof the battery 3501i one car be in tion of the brakes, the switch device45 will be operated, so that a signal is made on`vehicles of the trainand the trainman is thus notified that the train control apparatus hasoperated.

For this purpose, a cylinder 60 is provided on the locomotive and insaid cylinder a piston 61 is disposed. Said piston is provided with apiston stem 62 adapted to engage lever arm 63, which has one endpivotally mounted on the cylinder 60 and has its opposite end adapted toengage the push button 64 of the Contact member 46. A coil spring 65 isdisposed in the cylinder 60 and acts on piston 61 to normally maintainsaid piston in itsv retracted position as shown in the drawings. A pipe66y leads to the chamber at one side of piston 61 and said pipe isconnected to the automatic train control apparatus (not shown) in such away that when the train control apparatus operates to effect anapplication of the brakes, fluid under presliti lla

sure Will be supplied to pipe 66 and thus to piston (il.

ils an example ot a train control apparatus which will function as abovedescribed, refer ence is made to Fatent No. 1,309,787 of Walter '1.7.Turner, issued July i6, '1919. In this patent, there is a passage whichis connected to a reduction reservoir, and normally said reservoir andseid passage are connected to the atmosphere through a cavity in a slidevalve of an application valve device, and an exhaust port controlled bya train control magnet. lil/Then the train control magnet is deenergizedto efiect an automatic train control application of the brakes, a pistonis operated to actuate said slide valve, so that said reductionreservoir and said passage are connected to a normally charged-equalizing reservoir. lluid under presure is thereupon supplied tronithe equalizing reservoir to said reduction reservoir and to saidpassage, so that by merely connectingpipe G6 of my device With saidpassage, the pipe 6G is supplied with fluid ander pressure when anautomatic train control application of the brakes is effected.

lllhen fluid under pressure is suppied to piston 6l, said piston isf'orced outwardly and the stem 62 then moves the lever arm 63, so thatthe push button 64 is depressed and the switch member elfi is moved toits loiver position. in which a signal is made on those vehi cles of'the train in which the plug l0 is inserted in the switch device 9, inthe same manner hereinbefore described when the engineman manuallydepresses the push button (il.

@n cars Where a plug 10 is inserted, a trainman, if present, will hearthe signal sont to the engineer by a particular trainman. This Will dono harm, hoivever, since a code oi' signals is employed, the same aswith pneumatic signals, and any trainman vwill know by the character ofthe signal, according to the code, that it is a signal to the engineer,in tact it is desirable that the other trainmen should be aware that asignal is being sent to the engineer.

lllhile all other traininen on cars Where the plug' l0 is inserted willhear a signal sent out by the engineer, no confusion Will result,because trom the signal code above relerred to, other traimnen Willmerely be made aware (which desirable) that the engineer is signallingto a trainman.

rlhe reason Yfor using the plugs 10, is that on sleeping cars, Where itis not desired to disturb the passengers at night any more than isnecessary, the plugs l() may be re moved, except on any particular carwhere traininan, happening to be on the car, de sires to be kept advisedas to any signals which may he transmitted. There is not a trainnian onevery car and there may be only three or i'our on the Whole train andthey carry plugs 10, `which they can insert at Will on any cars Wherethey happen to be.

Vhen an automatic train control application of the brakes is effected,the arm 63 is depressed, so that a signal is made which is transmittedto the trainmen. `When the en gineer makes a brake application by theoperation of the usual engineers brake valve, no signal is transmitted,because the arm G3 is not depressed unless the brake application iseflected by the train control apparatus.

The trainman Willknow that it is a. train control initiated brakeapplication, because when the engineer makes a brake application, nosignal is transmitted. The trainman Will also distinguish this signalfrom any signal made by the engineer, because When the engineer signalsthe trainman, he employs the established signal code, so that thetrainman always recognizes Whether the signal is due to a train controlapplication or is due to the engineer signalling. l3`urthermore, thesignal made by a train control application being initiated is peculiarin that it Will be a continual signal, so long as fluid pressure remainsin the chamber 60, and such a signal Would be entirely different from acode signal, Which is based on the number of impulses and the duration,Whether long or short.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an electric train signal system, the combination With an electrictrain circuit, of an electrically controlled signal device on one car ofa train and connected to said circuit, a switch device on another car ofthe train and normally operable manuallyfor controlling the operation ofsaid signal device, an. automatic train control device operative toeffect an application of the brakes, and means controlled by said traincontrol device for automatically operating said switch device.

2. In an electric train signal system, the combination With a traincircuit, of an electrically controlled signal device on one car of atrain and connected in said circuit, a manually operable switch deviceon another car of the train for controlling the operation oiC saidsignal device, and means operated by fluid under pressure for alsocontrolling the operation of said switch device, and means for supplyingfluid under pressure to said fluid pressure operated means when anapplication of the brake is effected through the operation of anautomatic train control apparatus.

3. In an electric train signal system, the combination With a traincircuit, an electrically controlled signal device connected to saidcircuit on one car ot a train, a switch on another car of the train andin circuit with said signal device for controlling the iii operation ofsaid signal device, and a push button for manually opera-ting saidswitch, of a lever engaging said push button, a rod engaging said lever,a piston operated byl iiuid under pressure for actuating said rod tooperate said lever and thereby said push button and means for supplyingfluid under` pressure to said piston upon an automatic application ofthe brakes.

In testimony whereof I my hand.

have hereunto set SIDNEY Gi DOWN.

